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Pentagon budget 2023: DoD seeks 4.1% spending boost to USD773 billion

US Pentagon officials outlined their fiscal year 2023 budget request on 28 March 2022. (Getty Images)

Calling China the “pre-eminent pacing challenge” and Russia an “acute threat”, the Biden administration unveiled a fiscal year (FY) 2023 budget request on 28 March that would provide USD773 billion for the US Department of Defense (DoD), up 4.1% or USD30.7 billion from the FY 2022 enacted level.

If supplemental funds for Ukraine-related assistance and other emergency needs are included in the FY 2022 enacted level, the DoD's FY 2023 request would increase spending by 2.2% or USD16.4 billion. Total defence spending, including Department of Energy nuclear weapons programmes, would be USD813.3 billion in FY 2023, up 2.2% or USD17.2 billion from FY 2022.

Under the FY 2023 request, the DoD would receive USD276 billion for procurement and research and development, the highest level in the history, the department said. The amount contains USD56.5 billion for air power, including the continued procurement of F-35 Lightning II and F-15EX fighters and the continued development of the B-21 Raider bomber; USD40.8 billion for sea power, including the purchase of nine ships; and USD12.6 billion for land power, including several ground vehicle programmes.

The request would provide USD34.4 billion for nuclear enterprise modernisation, including recapitalisation of all three legs of the nuclear triad. It contains USD24.7 billion for missile defeat and defence, including development of the Next Generation Interceptor for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system, and USD892 million to protect Guam.

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